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How do you learn AND remember a programming language?

Hi all

Just wondering how do you guys learn a new programming language.. Well I know there is reading books but how do remember stuff - I find it hard to remember the so called easy stuff. It's like I have to keep reading a chapter in a book multiple times to understand it and then a week later I forget it.. Anyone else have the same problem and how can you overcome this problem? I like the rest of you guys want to be a solid programmer and remember certain stuff at the drop of a hat but I'm currently struggling. Programming language I'm currently using and learning is C#

When I was programming, in school or in jobs, I was doing it probably 12+ hours a day. Books are great as reference manuals, but not as a way to make the stuff stick in your head. Writing programs is the way to remember it.

When I was programming, in school or in jobs, I was doing it probably 12+ hours a day. Books are great as reference manuals, but not as a way to make the stuff stick in your head. Writing programs is the way to remember it.

Dave

Pretty much this, like any skill you need to practice it to get good at it. Just reading about it in a book won't make it stick. You don't need to do it 12 hours a day but you do need to use it.

Users who have thanked oracleguy for this post:

When I was programming, in school or in jobs, I was doing it probably 12+ hours a day. Books are great as reference manuals, but not as a way to make the stuff stick in your head. Writing programs is the way to remember it.

Dave

Originally Posted by oracleguy

Pretty much this, like any skill you need to practice it to get good at it. Just reading about it in a book won't make it stick. You don't need to do it 12 hours a day but you do need to use it.

So the examples in the programming books where you can download the source code and tinker around with it, is that any good? I guess it may help if i downloaded the source code for each chapter and then played around with it.

As for programming little stuff what would you guys recommend? I thought i knew the basic like int.Parse and TryParse but obviously not, have like a brain freeze embarrassing moment. Was doing abit of LINQ and found it good but little complicated at the same time.

Need to go back to basics and start playing about with code and stick to it so it sticks to this stupid brain of mine!

So the examples in the programming books where you can download the source code and tinker around with it, is that any good? I guess it may help if i downloaded the source code for each chapter and then played around with it.

I don't believe so. It may work for helping you see one particular algorithm work, but that's the kind of thing that will go in your brain and right back out.

Need to go back to basics and start playing about with code and stick to it so it sticks to this stupid brain of mine!

If you're not doing programming for work, then you need to come up with something on your own. There are a million things, just pick something. Say you collect baseball cards (oops, let's say Cricket cards ). Decide you want the ultimate baseball card collecting web site. It should have a way to upload the card image and all the info about the card, and store it in a database. It should have a security mechanism to allow administrative access. It should be available in multiple languages. It should work on mobile devices as well as large screens. It should have a mechanism to import and export content in XML, etc, etc. If you have projects like this that are of personal interest to you, then you will tend to have the ongoing interest in working on them and learning from them.

I don't believe so. It may work for helping you see one particular algorithm work, but that's the kind of thing that will go in your brain and right back out.

If you're not doing programming for work, then you need to come up with something on your own. There are a million things, just pick something. Say you collect baseball cards (oops, let's say Cricket cards ). Decide you want the ultimate baseball card collecting web site. It should have a way to upload the card image and all the info about the card, and store it in a database. It should have a security mechanism to allow administrative access. It should be available in multiple languages. It should work on mobile devices as well as large screens. It should have a mechanism to import and export content in XML, etc, etc. If you have projects like this that are of personal interest to you, then you will tend to have the ongoing interest in working on them and learning from them.

Good luck!
Dave

Good idea that - once I get my own website out the way I'll look in to building small applications and use as much as I can enabling me to keep on top of coding and keeping it fresh in my end. I'll probably end up starting a small project and implement things I want to learn and expand from there. You never know its something I could end up rolling out to the world wide web!

The best way is to create a project for yourself that will be written using that language.

When I decided to learn object oriented programming and C++ I wrote an entire cashbook program using it so as to be able to use all of the different aspects of the language (and the framework and database I wanted to learn at the same time) several times over by the time I finished it.

Of course the project you decide to use needs to be one where you know what the end result needs to be.

The best way is to create a project for yourself that will be written using that language.

When I decided to learn object oriented programming and C++ I wrote an entire cashbook program using it so as to be able to use all of the different aspects of the language (and the framework and database I wanted to learn at the same time) several times over by the time I finished it.

Of course the project you decide to use needs to be one where you know what the end result needs to be.

Agreed - time to start a mini project and expand on it more and use as much C' .NET stuff as i can Could potentially come up with a project that can be even rolled out

You'll remember it if you enjoy it. You'll be more apt to learning stuff on you own, and on your own time, where you're not required to just go off programming something. I program my own applications and work on projects and fun code out of boredom every day.

Thinking of a project that excites you. I remember when I first got started, I made websites for my favorite basketball players and I developed a program to keep stats of players and to make projections as the year wore on. Bottom line is: you won't remember much by reading. If you work on something you love, you will learn it very easily. My advice to you would be to pick out a topic you enjoy (a hobby) and develop a program of some sort for it.